Device for cleaning the bottoms of vessels.



No. 721,347. 'PATENTED FEB. 24, 190s.'

E, s. WILLEY.

DEVICE-FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS 0F VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

- No. 721,347. PATENTED FEB-, 24, 19-03.

E. s. WILLEY.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE BOTTOMS 0F VESSELS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 3, 1902. ,M

2 SgBETS-SHEEI 2.

K0 MODEL.

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EDWARD s. WILLEY, F ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH oARoLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ON-FOURTH T0 RICHARD 0,. oRIsP, or ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA. I

DEVICE FOR CLEANING THEBOTTOMS OF VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.721. dated February 24,1903- Application filed May 8, 1902. Serial No. 105,834. (No model.) I

To wZZ whom it may concern: 7 bars and braces may be connected to theside Be it known that I, EDWARD S.-WILLEY, a bars in any suitablemanner, preferably that citizen of the United States, residing atElizashown in Figs. 1 and 2. both City, in the county of Pasquotank andSecured to each side bar of the frame at the 5 State of North Carolina,have invented. cercenter thereof is a journal-box frame 8, in

tain new and useful Improvements in Devices which is slidably secured adouble journalfor Cleaning the Bottoms of Vessels; 'and I box 9, thesliding movement of each being do'hereby declare the following to be afull, controlled by two springs 10 10. The outer clear, and exactdescription of the invention, ends of the journal-box frames 8 areconnectto such as will enable others skilled in the art to ed togetherby a transverse bar 11, which Whichit appertains to make and use thesame. gives to them additional rigidity and tends My invention relatesto devices for cleaning to further strengthen the frame as a whole. thebottoms of ships; and it consists, essen- J ournaled in theupper'journal-box is a main tially, of the peculiar construction andnovel shaft 12, carrying a main gear-wheel 13 and I 5 arrangement of theseveral parts, as will be two sprocket-wheels 14 and 15, respectively,

hereinafter described, and particularly stated the purpose of which willbe hereinafter exin'the claims. plained. J ournaled in the lowerjournal-box The principal object of the invention is to is a shaft 16,-on which is mounted a cutter 17 provide a simple and effective devicefor reand a gear-wheel 18, the latter meshing with 20 moving the marinegrowth and other adhethe main gear-wheel 13. The cutter consists sionsfrom the bottoms of vessels, and thereof three hubs a, from whichproject radial by dispense with the necessity of dry-dockarms I),carrying cutter-blades 0, adj ustably ing the same, which can only beaccomplished secured thereto by means of slots and pins, as at greatexpense, even when such operation is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. 25available. Journaled in suitable bearings 19, secured With myimproveddevice the sides and botto the side bars of the frame, are flutedgriptoms of vessels may be effectively cleaned of ping-rollers 20 and21, one on each side of all marine growthsuch as barnacles, seathejournal-box frames. Each roller is proweed, &c.'with but little trouble.vided with a sprocket-wheel 22, the one.on 0 In the drawings, Figure 1is a top plan view roller 2 O being connected with the sprocketof myimproved device with the air-tanks rewheel 14'by a sprocket-chain 23 andthe one moved; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, onroller 21 beingconnected with sprocketshowing the air-tanks in position. Fig. 3 iswheel 15 by a sprocket-chain 24. a plan and end elevation ofthe cutters;Fig. Detachably secured to the upper side of the 3 5 4, similar views ofthe main gear-wheel; Fig. frame are two air-tanks 25 and 26, the under5, a plan view of one of the journal-box sides of which are so formed asto permit the 8 frames, in which the gear and cutter shafts freeoperation of the working parts. The are journaled; Fig. 6, amodifiedform of outunder side of the air-tanks near each end ter-blade; Fig. 7,a diagrammatic view showthereof are provided with eyes 27 ,which are 40ing the device applied to the side of avessel, engaged by hooks 28 onrods 29, slidable in .and Fig. 8 a plan view of one of thefair-leadsuitable bores or guideways 39, made in the 0 ers or guides. jside bars of the frame, as shown by dotted In the several views thenumerals 1 and 2 lines in Fig. 2. indicate the side bars ofa'rectangular frame, Attached in any suitable manner to each 45 3 and 4the respective end bars, and 5 and 6 corner of the frame ofv the deviceis a fairintermediate bars. To further strengthen leader or guideway 31,consisting of a small 5 and render the frame more rigid, a transverserectangular frame in which is j ournaled four brace 7 is placed betweeneach end bar and rollers 32, as shown in Fig. 8. Running intermediatebar. The end and intermediate through the fair-leaders are ropes orwires 33,

which serve as a track to guide the device in its forward and backwardmovements. The respective ends of the ropes 33 are attached to drags 34,which are provided with dragropes 35 and 36, by means of which thedevice is moved to different positions on the sides and bottom of thevessel. Attached to the center of each drag is stay-rope 37, whichserves to hold the drag at a fixed position, and thereby allow for thefree and easy movement of the device over the space between the drags.Attached to each end of the frame and to the center of each drag arepulleyblocks 38, and running through the pulleyblocks are ropes 39, bymeans of which the device is hauled back and forth over the track formedby the ropes 33.

The operation of the device will be readily understood without furtherdescription or explanation other than to state that'the airtanks pressthe device against the hull, and the springs in the journal-box framesare caused to open the blades of the cutters against the foul side orbottom of the vessel, and as the device is hauled back and forth therollers bite into or grip the side or bottom and impart motion to thecutter.

After the first cutting the device may, if desired, be made to cutdiagonally or vertically by a proper manipulation of the guide and dragropes, as will be evident.

Other forms of cutters may be substituted for the one described-such,for instance, as that shown in Fig. 6, wherein the blades 40 are curvedand are so fastened to the cutterheads that each blade will cut afraction of a second later than the preceding blade, similar in mannerto the cutting-blades of a lawnmower.

If found desirable, an additional roller provided with brushes of steelor other suitable material may be carried by the frame and connectedwith one of the fluted rollers by sprocket wheel and chain, so as tobrush the hull clean in the rear of the travel of the device.

Other modifications and variations in the construction of the device maybe made Without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificingthe principle thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for cleaning the hull of a vessel, the combination with asuitable frame carrying gripping-rollers, of vertical j ournalbox framesprovided with spring-pressed slidable journal-boxes, a cutter mounted inthe lower journal-boxes, provided with a gearwheel, a main shaft mountedin the upper journal-boxes, provided with a gear-wheel meshing with thecutter gear wheel, and means connecting the gripping-rollers with themain shaft, whereby when said device is moved back and forth rotarymotion is imparted to said main shaft and thereby to the cutter.

2. In a device for cleaning the hull of a vessel, the combination with asuitable frame carrying gripping rollers, a rotary cutter journaled inspring-pressed bearings, and mechanism driving said cutter, of air-tanksdetachably secured to the frame, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device for cleaning the hull of a vessel, consisting of a suitableframe carrying gripping-rollers, a rotary cutter journaled in springpressed bearings, and mechanism driving said cutter,in combination withguideways attached to the frame, ropes or wires running through saidguideways and having their ends secured to suitable drags, saidguideways forming a track for the cleaning device, and means moving saiddevice back and forth.

4. A device for cleaning the hull of a vessel, consisting of a suitableframe carrying gripping-rollers, a rotary cutter journaled inspring-pressed bearings, mechanism driving the cutter, and air-tanksdetachably secured to the frame, in combination with guideways attachedto the frame, ropes or wires running through said guideways and havingtheir ends secured to suitable drags, and means moving the device backand forth over said ropes or wires.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD S. WILLEY.

Witnesses:

M. R. GRIFFIN, CHAs. GUIRKIN.

